Somalia has formally assumed its seat on the African Union’s Peace and Security Council (PSC) for the first time in its history.
The Federal Government of Somalia took up its position on 7 April, marking what Somali officials described as a "significant milestone" in the country’s diplomatic re-engagement.
Somalia will serve a two-year term on the 15-member council from 2026 to 2028, following its election in February along with several other countries, during a vote held at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa.
At a ceremony marking the start of the term, Somalia’s ambassador to Ethiopia and Permanent Representative to the African Union, Abdullahi Warfa, raised the Somali flag at the council’s headquarters.
Enhancing cooperation
Hamza Adan Hadow, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who also attended the event, said the appointment reflected growing confidence among African states in Somalia’s role in promoting peace and stability across the continent.
The African Union Peace and Security Council (PSC), created in 2004, is a key organ of the African Union, responsible for promoting peace, security, and stability in Africa as well as assessing progress in post-conflict reconstruction. Its 15 members are elected for a two-year term.
Other members of the council are Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Gabon, Cameroon, DRC, Uganda, Ethiopia, Lesotho, South Africa, Eswatini, Morocco and Algeria.
Somalia says it plans to prioritise Africa-led solutions to conflicts, counterterrorism efforts, maritime security, and enhanced regional cooperation in the Horn of Africa during its tenure.
Diplomatic gains
Somalia was among the founding members of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), the AU’s predecessor, and had hosted the bloc’s 11th summit in Mogadishu in June 1974.
However, the country’s diplomatic relations with the rest of the world collapsed as its state institutions crumbled in the 1990s due to a civil war and natural disasters. Now it is rising again.
The ascension of Somalia to the African Union Peace and Security Council comes as the African Union has maintained a peace support presence in the Horn of Africa country for more than 17 years.
Its current mission, the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), continues to assist the federal government in countering terrorist groups and supporting stabilisation efforts.
The PSC seat is the latest in a series of diplomatic gains for Somalia, which in recent years has also secured a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council, joined the East African Community (EAC), and become part of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM).
